Oscars 2022: Marakkar and Jai Bhim, among 276 films in competition for Best Feature Film

When it comes to Indian filmmaking, the South Indian film industry is dominating the roost, as Suriya's social drama demonstrates. Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, a period drama starring Jai Bhim and Mohanlal, has been nominated for Best Feature Film at the Oscars in 2022. Only two Indian films, Jai Bhim and Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, have been selected from the 276 films that have been shortlisted globally.

A 12-minute 47-second segment from the Suriya-starrer social drama was also shared to the official Oscars YouTube channel. The Oscar nomination voting will begin on Thursday, with the final list of nominees being released on February 8. The award presentation is set for March 27 in Hollywood, California.

Injustice and police brutality towards the Irular tribe members are depicted in the Suriya-starrer. Apart from Suriya, the film is directed by TJ Gnanavel and features Lijomol Jose, Prakash Raj, Rajisha Vijayan, Rao Ramesh, and Manikandan in important parts. On November 2, Jai Bhim was available on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries.

On the other side, Mohanlal's Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham is directed by Priyadarshan and has won three National Awards. The film is set in the 16th century in Calicut and is based on Zamorin Kunjali Marakkar, the admiral of the Zamorin fleet. In addition to Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Keerthy Suresh, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Arjun Sarja, Suniel Shetty, and Siddique play important roles in the film.